Chapter 303: Promise

A chaotic era may bring the apocalypse, or it may bring hope and profit.

The most tragic end is not decline after a painful war, but silent extinction.

"At least, we have avoided the worst possibility."

Though no prophecy stated it clearly, Li En had already vaguely perceived the fate originally destined for this kingdom.

With the revival of the Evil God, that silent extinction with no one answering the cries for help seemed to be the only ending.

Perhaps your apocalypse is brutal, perhaps your people are miserable; but what meaning does it hold for outsiders from other nations?

If someone gazes at the ruins and sheds two tears for you, if a recorder is willing to spend a few words documenting the process of your existence, that is already mercy.

"In this world, it is hard enough just to take care of oneself."

Li En sighed; he did not like this era, and perhaps no Li Ensu would like it.

As an Easterner, as a descendant of old state-owned enterprise offspring, and as a former civil servant, he was a staunch centralist.

But he was not a blind worshiper of great unity; rather, he rationally appreciated the high efficiency and distribution of responsibility that this centralization brought.

The premise he accepted for all this was that while the "center" enjoys power, it must also fulfill the social contract of protecting the people's survival and development.

But this world is not like that; someone always tries to eat everything.

"Fighting separately is one thing, but every individual and every community has its own interests; this is an era destined for compromise."

The gods are powerful, the races on the ground are powerful, beasts, divine beasts, and aberrations are powerful, ancient races are powerful, and Outer Gods and outsiders are also powerful.

This world has endured too much; it is impossible for any single faction to swallow everything alone. A ruler must learn to balance the scales and compromise, trying to keep this mess going.

"Are half-elves trustworthy? Is your Archmage teacher trustworthy?"

"It will do; at least they are more trustworthy than the dark elves. They have no retreat, and they have needs for us."

Li En truly dared to use them because, in a sense, he had nothing left. He needed more combat power to supplement his forces and needed them to balance the pressure created by existing powers. The arrival of the Archmages and the half-elves would make the pressure on the front-line base much lighter. If those bastard nobles and high priests want to cause trouble, just see if they will strike you.

"Uh, are the dark elves reliable?" Dai Niya, the Chosen of the Dark Elf God, asking such a question was somewhat absurd.

But the more she came into contact with those dark elves, the more uneasy she became. The divisions and differences between races not only existed, but were vast and dangerous.

"Of course, they are not reliable. In fact, all factions, including the Shanshen Sect, are unreliable. But when they are in favorable winds, they can help a bit."

"... Won't you coax me, at least let me feel at ease for two days?"

Dai Niya sighed; she probably also knew the current state of this mess.

The reason this mess can continue is only because of the "national policy" proposed by Dai Niya.

Breaking through the underground ruins benefits everyone; the continuously produced materials and wealth are feeding all related factions.

Therefore, the royal family, specifically led by Dai Niya developing the underground ruins, can gain their support. Compared to certain "gray industries," the treasures of those underground ruins are more valuable.

The people of the kingdom fight for survival, while certain Shanshen Sects and Archmages fight so as not to lose this high-quality resource point. Their interests might be shared, but their will to fight is completely different.

Li En's words were direct: those seemingly powerful Shanshen Sects, Archmages, and foreign factions can be leveraged when the winds are favorable, but if it truly comes down to fighting for one's life, do not expect anything.

Even your so-called "God of Mirrors"... are there not many gods who abandon their worthless Chosen?

Your Glowing City and kingdom on the ground are merely a idle chess piece for Him to attempt expansion. Once He finds the risks outweigh the benefits, cutting off the tail to stop the loss is only natural.

"The bigger the storm, the easier it is to slack off. Look on the bright side; it is better than before."

Standing from the perspective of Dai Niya as the King, if she had sufficient capital, actual power, and military support, she would naturally control, even marginalize, suppress, and eliminate, the emerging forces within the country.

To date, she has only gained the support of the City Lord, one powerful noble from her extended family, and possesses the Glowing Guard and city guards of this city. But these forces are not even the strongest faction group in the country.

If one were to make a percentage of the entire power of Glowing City, what Dai Niya could directly control and mobilize might be less than ten percent.

With so many powerful forces existing in the country, since it is destined that she cannot become the sole "King," then allowing more forces to surface and form a balance with the existing nobles and churches will instead give her higher speaking power.

Speaking power can further drive other factions to fight for the kingdom's survival.

"Perhaps a church of a new god will join; that church will be trustworthy."

After considering, Li En decided to inform Dai Niya.